Western apparel spotlighted at Cowboy Symposium

Clothing from different decades of western culture will be on display at the Cowboy Symposium that begins Thursday in Lubbock. (Zach Long/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Monica Hightower and Mary Jane Buerkle recently sorted through collections of clothing that best reflect the daily work and Sunday-go-to-meeting attire of individuals who tamed the West.

They plan to place the apparel on display Friday and Saturday in the south meeting rooms of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center as a first-of-its-kind exhibit for this year's 20th anniversary edition of the National Cowboy Symposium.

Even a few flashy dresses worn by the Miss Rodeo Americas have been included, along with hats and boots from private collections.

"We have everything from clothes to accessories - just about anything you can think of in Western apparel," Buerkle said.

According to Hightower, who produces the Cowboy Symposium, some of the decades were challenging, but they were able to secure either clothing or photographs of people in their period clothing.

She said, "We are really pleased that we have been able to do that. Several of my interns have been kind of amused looking at some of the things that people used to wear: There have been a couple of times that styles have repeated themselves."

Styles also have evolved, according to Buerkle.

"There are some pieces that we have from back in the 1930s and 1940s that seem to be so heavy. You can tell the fabrics have changed, the patterns have changed, and the styles have changed. So, it has moved along with the times."

She added, "Comparing the stuff from the early century to now, even the '60s and '70s, there were such differences in construction, in looks, and in trends. You can definitely follow trends when you look at all these clothes."

Most of the display came from the West Texas area, with some contributed by individuals and others loaned by museums, according to Hightower.

"We will have some people in the room with knowledge of these different periods of clothing, and they will be talking about everything in there," she said.

Written descriptions also will accompany the clothing, Buerkle explained.

"I know what the staffers and the coordinator have to deal with, so it makes me develop even a larger appreciation for Monica and her group. They are really the ones who have put this together, and I'm just the lucky one who gets to look at it and say, That is good.' I am fortunate to be able to work with them as a volunteer."

The exhibit has taken almost a year to assemble.

This year's cowboy symposium will also feature chuck wagons, a Native American powwow, horse-training shows, music and poetry. It will continue until near high noon Sunday, and will include a horse parade, Western food and a recreation of much of the atmosphere of the Old West.